Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the flux concentrator “partially protrudes out of the cavity” as recited in claims 8 and 15 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). It is noted that increasing the thickness 74 to make the concentrator partially protrude out of the cavity is disclosed in [0037], yet none of the figures illustrate this feature or any other feature which illustrates the “partially protrudes” claim feature.
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 – 2, 4 – 7, 9 – 11, 13 – 14 and 16 – 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 102021208787 A1 (“Wang”).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses an apparatus, comprising:
an AC carrier assembly (10), including:
a housing (25);
a receptacle (35) integrally formed as part of the housing;
a plurality of busbars (12A-C) extending through the housing;
a core at least partially disposed in the receptacle (EMC-AC filter is in 35, see [0026] of the translation), the core surrounding the plurality of busbars to dampen electromagnetic interference (the filter is ring shaped, and the opening 35 for the filter surrounds the busbars as seen in Fig. 1);
a plurality of sub-housings (41) integrally formed as part of the housing (see Fig. 5); and
a plurality of flux concentrators (20), each of the plurality of flux concentrators disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of sub-housings (see Figs. 5 – 6);
wherein each of the plurality of flux concentrators surrounds a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of busbars (see Fig. 5 and [0030]).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses a cover (36) attached to the housing.
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses the cover further comprising:
at least one anti-drop fastener barrier (the face of 36 seen in Figure 2 prevents fasteners from contacting the core within 35, and is ant-drop in that the face both prevents dropped fasteners from contacting the core and the face has latching arms to be secured on portion 43);
wherein the at least one anti-drop fastener barrier is adjacent one of the plurality of busbars when the cover is attached to the housing (the face is adjacent bar portions 33).
Regarding claim 5, Wang discloses wherein a portion of the core is at least partially disposed in a cavity of the cover (the cover includes latching arms which define a space therebetween in which the core is at least partially disposed).
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses a plurality of conductors, wherein each of the plurality of conductors is connected to one of the plurality of busbars (conductors of a motor and an inverter mate with ends of the busbars).
Regarding claim 7, Wang discloses each of the plurality of sub-housings further comprising a cavity (space within 41), one of the plurality of flux concentrators at least partially disposed in the cavity of one of the plurality of sub-housings (see Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses the cavity further comprising:
an inner wall, a portion of one of the plurality of busbars surrounded by the inner wall; and
an outer wall surrounding at least a portion of the inner wall;
wherein the one of the plurality of flux concentrators is disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall when the one of the plurality of flux concentrators is disposed in the cavity (the concentrators 20 are C shaped and the housing is shaped around the concentrators and busbars to define such an inner and outer wall arrangement of the walls, the busbar, and the concentrator).
Regarding claim 10, Wang discloses wherein each of the plurality of sub-housings is overmolded around a corresponding one of the plurality of flux concentrators (see [0029]).
Regarding claim 11, Wang discloses an AC carrier assembly, comprising:
a housing (25);
a receptacle integrally (35) formed as part of the housing;
a plurality of busbars (12A-C) extending through the housing;
a core at least partially disposed in the receptacle (EMC-AC filter is in 35, see [0026] of the translation), the core surrounding the plurality of busbars to dampen electromagnetic interference (the filter is ring shaped, and the opening 35 for the filter surrounds the busbars as seen in Fig. 1);
a plurality of sub-housings (41) integrally formed as part of the housing;
a plurality of flux concentrators (20), each of the plurality of flux concentrators disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of sub-housings (see Figs. 5 and 6);
a cover (36) attached to the housing;
a plurality of conductors, wherein each of the plurality of conductors is connected one of the plurality of busbars (10 is connected to conductors of a motor and an inverter, see [0020]);
wherein each of the plurality of flux concentrators surrounds a corresponding one of the plurality of busbars (See Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 13, Wang discloses wherein a portion of the core is at least partially disposed in a cavity of the cover (EMC-AC filter is in 35, and latching arms of cover 36 define a space at least partially surrounding the filter).
Regarding claim 14, Wang discloses each of the plurality of sub-housings (41) further comprising a cavity, one of the plurality of flux concentrators (20) at least partially disposed in the cavity of one of the plurality of sub-housings (see Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 16, Wang discloses the cavity further comprising:
an inner wall, a portion of one of the plurality of busbars surrounded by the inner wall; and an outer wall surrounding at least a portion of the inner wall;
wherein the one of the plurality of flux concentrators is disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall when the one of the plurality of flux concentrators is disposed in the cavity (the concentrators 20 are C shaped and the housing is shaped around the concentrators and busbars to define such an inner and outer wall arrangement of the walls, the busbar, and the concentrator).
Regarding claim 17, Wang discloses wherein each of the plurality of sub-housings (41) is overmolded around a corresponding one of the plurality of flux concentrators (see [0029]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of U.S. Pub. No. 2003/0087560 (“Patwardhan”).
Regarding claim 3, Wang does not disclose the cover further comprising:
at least one busbar isolation barrier;
wherein the at least one busbar isolation barrier is disposed between two of the plurality of busbars when the cover is attached to the housing.
However, Patwardhan teaches a covering member for an AC connector, the covering member 44 including isolation barriers 60/62 between two of a plurality of terminal members. It would have been obvious to form the cover of Wang to include barriers between the busbars as taught by Patwardhan, because this helps ensure that the electrical terminal structures are effectively isolated from one another at the point of interconnection with a mating connector.
Regarding claim 12, Wang discloses the cover further comprising:
at least one anti-drop fastener barrier (the face of 36 seen in Figure 2 prevents fasteners from contacting the core within 35, and is ant-drop in that the face both prevents dropped fasteners from contacting the core and the face has latching arms to be secured on portion 43) adjacent one of the plurality of busbars when the cover is attached to the housing (the face is adjacent bar portions 33).
Wang does not disclose at least one busbar isolation barrier disposed between two of the plurality of busbars when the cover is attached to the housing; and wherein the at least one anti-drop fastener barrier is on the opposite side of one of the plurality of busbars in relation to the at least one busbar isolation barrier.
However, Patwardhan teaches a covering member for an AC connector, the covering member 44 including isolation barriers 60/62 between two of a plurality of terminal members.
It would have been obvious to form the cover of Wang to include isolation barriers between the busbars as taught by Patwardhan, because this helps ensure that the electrical terminal structures are effectively isolated from one another at the point of interconnection with a mating connector. The placement of the isolation barrier between the busbars results in the fastener barrier being on an opposite side of one of the plurality of busbars in relation to the isolation barrier, because the fastener barrier encircles an exterior side of the busbars and the isolation barrier is between the busbars, on an opposite interior side of the busbar.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claims 8 and 15, the prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed apparatus/AC carrier assembly, including wherein the one of the plurality of flux concentrators partially protrudes out of the cavity, along with the remaining elements of the claim.
Wang discloses members 20 encapsulated by the housing, including at the portion 22 where a gap is left between ends of the C-shaped member 20.
Amaducci and Yanagimoto each disclose connector members with housings having cores. None disclose flux concentrators which at least partially protrude out of a cavity as required by the claims.
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D BAILLARGEON whose telephone number is (571)272-0676. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL D BAILLARGEON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/renee s luebke/ Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2831